How hungry are you? Do you sometimes get so hungry you are hangry? Do you sometimes think you can eat an entire pizza all by yourself? Are you a bread lover? Do you like it toasted, buttered, with jelly or apple butter? What about bread from heaven?
Eating may be our favorite pastime. Even if we are not especially fond of eating, we know we need to eat. We may like to eat junk food, especially when we go to a fair. We have the funnel cakes, popcorn, corn dog, and ice cream. Yes, eating can be quite enjoyable.
But we also know there are healthy foods such as vegetables, lean meats, fish, chicken, whole grains, and fruits. We know we need a balanced diet, one that includes proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a small amount of carbohydrates. Eating healthy can be challenging when there are so many foods that taste much better but are not good for us.
Jesus says He is the bread that came down from heaven. He says He is not like the manna the Israelites were given by God when they were wandering through the desert. Those who ate that manna lived and died. The manna could not give them eternal life. When Jesus says those that eat His bread will live forever, He is saying they will have eternal life.
The early Christians were sometimes called cannibals because they ate “the body of Christ” and drank “the blood of Christ.” We all know it was not His real body nor His real blood. Yet, His promise is true. As we eat the bread and drink the wine or juice, we are participating in the meal He instituted during the Last Supper. It is a meal to remind us who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He continues to do for us.
I pray we all participate in the meal with Jesus. I pray we partake of the bread and the wine. I pray each one of us know that by partaking in it we are accepting the gift of eternal life Jesus is giving us. Participate in a meal with Jesus. Partake of the bread. Partake of the wine. Accept eternal life. Jesus is freely giving it to you.
John 6:58 “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Marty Pressey 